Apparatus for testing tension of wire ropes



D66 9% 19M H. www5, JR

APPARATUS FOR TESTING TENSION OF WIRE ROPES Fild Jan. 5, 1940 :Emmhmm HHH-NNUU llllllilllllllIl-U-:JIIIL 9 INVENTOR HARO/.D TWH/ rEjJ/P;

M ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 9, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR TESTING TENSION OF WIRE ROPES 6 Claims.

This invention relates to means for testing tension of wire ropes or the like.

The main object of my invention is the provision of improved apparatus for testing the tension of wire ropes, cables, strands, wires or rods, etc., not only after they have been installed but also as they are placed and connected in position in the apparatus or device in which they are to be used.

Another object of the invention consists in the provision of an improved tension testing apparatus, comprising a base, means for clamping a section of the rope to be tested on the base, and means preferably in the form of a wire stretched over and supported on the base and which may be controlled in any Well known manner s by frets to produce different tonal pitches, and including also numbers associated with said frets which may be used in determining the load on the rope by reference to a table for the apparatus and for the particular construction, diameter and weight of rope tested.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, in which- Fig. l shows a small view of the apparatus attached to the cable;

Fig. 2 shows the apparatus in plan view; and

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

For the purpose of disclosure I have illustrated in the drawing the preferred form of apparatus for carrying out the objects of this invention. This apparatus includes a base 5 which may be hollow to amplify the tone produced by the vibrating rope 6 that is to be tested and the tonal pitches produced by the vibrating wire or musical string 1. In case the base 5 is hollow, it may be perforated with one or more holes as indicated to assist in the amplification of the tones produced. The base 5 may be made of cast aluminum or any suitable material.

The upper face of the base is provided with two bridges 8 and il which may be cast integral with the base and which may be provided with concave seats l and Il upon which a section l2 of the rope may be seated. The apparatus is anchored to the cable and the cable pressed on to the seats by means of knurled clamping nuts i3 and i4 threaded on bolts l and l5 anchored in projections I1 and I8 integral with the base and alined struts i9 and 20 connecting the top and bottom members of the base and integral therewith. When it is desired to test the tension of a rope the apparatus is clamped to any conveniently located section of the rope by the means described. The section of the rope between the bridges is then plucked and the tone produced by the vibrating rope will vary with the tension of the rope for a rope of given diameter, construction and material.

'Ihe wire or musical string 'l which is provided for producing tonal pitches with which the tones produced by the vibrating section of the rope to be tested are compared, is anchored in an integral projection on one end of the base as indicated at 2i, and is strung over a bridge 22 which may be cast integral with the base and which is provided with a concave seat 23 to receivefthe wire and across a similar bridge 25 at the other end of the base beyond which it is connected to a wire tensioning and tuning key 28 mounted in a bearing in a split clamping member 28 integral with the base, a threaded thumb screw 29 being provided to clamp the key in adjusted position. The wire or musical string l which is anchored at 2| to one end of the base extends over frets 30 numbered 1 to 15 and by means of the key at the other end of the base, the wire can be tensioned to produce when vibrated a denite tonal pitch which constitutes part of the adjustment of the instrument. This tonal pitch is obtained by comparison preferably with the tonal pitch produced by a vibrating tuning fork or the like and preferably lies within the middle range of the piano because tonal pitches of this range can be recognized more readily than those in higher or lower ranges and will also of course be selected with reference to the range of tones that are likely to be produced by ropes of particular diameters and constructions of rope to be tested under different tensions. Upon vibration of the rope section l2 a tone is produced and then the wire or musical string 'l is vibrated and the finger run up or down the frets until the tonal pitch produced by the wire is in tune with the tone produced by the vibrating rope. The nearest fret will then give a reading from which can be calculated the tension of the particular rope preferably by reference to a table which, if desired, can be stamped or printed directly on .I one side oi the base so that it will be always calibrations for tension meter-Continued readily available. Y

The instrument disclosed has been constructf a 7 Wm 7 ed for testing the tension of ropes made of stain- 2 x I 7 2 618.72 7

Korodi K d1 K less steel of diameters ranging from of an .5 BIS-melanie. B/srfmsisbs. B/sgdoesisbs. men diameter to 1,4, of an inch m diameter and Ff N- for ropes consisting of one or a plurality of safety safer sfi Load L d Y Y strands. In the following table are given the factor "a rector Load 75cm diameters, number o strands and breaking strength of some of the ropes that may be tested 1% 13 g2 lg-l 200 1M .7 255 10.2 by a single instrument. 11a 8.1 203 8.1 :100 2.7 f a 0.7 Calibration@ for tension meter 165 5 5 305 5.5 445 5,5 120 is 350 4.9 500 5.2 215 4.3 30s 455 555 4.0 Me"dia.ix19 %5"die.1xi9 wdlaixic 247 3.7 44o 3.9 540 4.1 Korodless Korodlees Korodless 280 3. 3 500 3. 4 730 3. e Ble-5501115. mel-1.2001112. B/s2,1001bs. 220 2.9 559 3.0 825 3.2 Fret No. 305 2.5 035 2.7 935 2.5 l safety safety safety gg 22,1 Low z5 .1 1,220 2.1 Load factor Load factor Load factor 530 1.7 920 1.8 1, 410 1.5 505 1.5 1,040 1.o 1,070 1.0

22215) *8i- In the use of this apparatus any section of the 517 155 525 285 71.1 'rope to be tested either during or after installa- '2.21 al? tion and during normal or abnormal conditions ajg 255 4; 5 425 510 25 is clamped upon the bridges of the apparatus and 23 2 is strummed and the fingers passed up or down 21g 385 311 620 314 on the wire l until the tonal pitch produced by gg -g the wire l is the same or substantially the same 10 555 211 940 212 as the tone produced by the vibrating section I2 515% of the rope. Reference is then made to the number of the fret in the table which identies the rst fret upon which the Wire is pressed to Calz-mations fm. tension meter C0ntmued determine the load on the rope and the safety factor. The apparatus may be used also 1n 1nsiauing ropes to obtain the desired tension in the 952g dielix 19 nel; 1115511: 10 1452111555 x 19 rope or to check as to whether the rope is of the GIO @SS OI'O GSS 01'0 ESS B/s 3 3051bs B/S 4 7001bs B/S 8 m01bs required strength for the functions 1t is to per Fret No, form 1n its particular location. The rope may be tightened or loosened to produce a tone when Baf t Safet Safety Load foeto-r Load meto? Load factor 49 strummed to harmonize with any one of the 15 tonal pitches, which may be fretted on the 190 17.4 20 21.4 50 ggg musical string, these pitches corresponding pre- 225 `14.7 10 15.2 0 250 157 355 155 555 251 cisely to various tensions and factors of safety 310 10.6 410 11.5 410 20.0 of the rope tested.

13 2 3 2) 45 While I have described what I consider to be the 500 6.5 090 es 090 11.9 preferred form of apparatus for carrying out the ggg gg 3,153 ig 3,153 12;; objects of this invention, it is to be understood 300 5.1 2 0 32g 55g that after understanding my invention modifica- .5 5 1 000 5 1 1 480 5 2 1 450 5 5 50 t1ons of my apparatuswill become apparent to 5, 212g 2. 2.8 30g ig those familiar with thls art and 1t 1s therefore 2. 0 2.4 1 005 2 0 2 200 .2 1 2 200 3 7 my 1ntent1on to cover all such c hanges 1n the 1,950 1.7 2,570 1.8 2, 530 3. 2 apparatus as fall within the principles of my 1nvention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: Calzbmtwm for tension meteontmued l. An apparatus for determining the tension in ropes or the like comprising a base, a pair of bridges xedly mounted on said base, means for 1.0 "11.6 7 "(1.0 zofoiies 7 irorgadies 9roriaileogd securing a section of rope on said bridges and FretN WSI-251001175- B/S11400 11111- B/s-Soolbsmeans on said base for producing a tonal pitch o' 60 corresponding to the tone produced by vibrating safety safety safety Load factor Load factor Load factor sa1d rope when the rope is under dierent tensions. 150 4 0 115 122 60 13 3 2. An apparatus for determining the tensions 182 11.5 140 10,0 75 10o of ropes or the like of different diameters comggg 13g 65 prising a base, a pair of bridges on said base 290 7.2 218 0.4 113 7.1 spaced apart a given distance, means for securg g1g ing a section of one of said ropes in seated posigg ig 4kg tion on said bridges, a wire or musical string 555 .3 7 405 3f5 210 328 70 mounted on said base, and a plurality of frets as- ?g gg sociated with said Wire for producing tonal 840 2.5 010 2.3 315 2.5 pitches corresponding to the tone produced by I gg ggg jg f g the vibration of such section of the rope under 1,290 1.6 890 1- 5 485 1-6 any one of a plurality of diierent tensions.

of ropes or the like of different diameters cornprising a base, a pair of bridges on said base spaced apart a given distance, means for securing any one of said ropes in seated position on said bridges, a wire or musical string mounted on said base, and a plurality of frets associated with said wire for producing tonal pitches corresponding to the tone produced by the vibration of said section of said rope under any one of a plurality of diierent tensions, said frets being identied by characters for reference to tables specifying the tension in the rope when producing a given tone.

4. An apparatus for determining the tension of ropes or the like, the combination of a base, a pair of rope seating bridges spaced a given distance apart and mounted on said base, means for clamping a section of a rope passing over said bridges on said base, a second pair of wire or musical string bridges on said base, a wire secured to said base and tensioned over said bridges to produce a predetermined tonal pitch, and a series of frets on said base associated with said wire to produce other tonal pitches, said predetermined tonal pitch being chosen to render possible by means of the wire the production of any tonal pitch that may be produced by plucking said section of the rope.

5. An apparatus for determining the tensions of ropes or the like of different diameters comprising a base, a pair of bridges on said base spaced apart a given distance, means for securing any one of said ropes in seated position on said bridges, a wire or musical string mounted on said base, and a plurality of frets associated with said wire for producing tonal pitches corresponding to the tone produced by the vibration of said section of said rope under any one of a plurality of different tensions, the base being hollow and perforated to amplify the tones produced by the rope and Wire.

6. An apparatus for determining the tensions of ropes or the like of different diameters comprising a base, a pair of bridges on said base spaced apart a given distance, means for securing any one of said ropes in seated position on said bridges, a wire or musical string mounted on said base, and a plurality of frets associated with said wire for producing tonal pitches corresponding to the tone produced by the vibration of said sec tion of said rope under any one of a plurality of different tensions, the base being hollow and being provided with a hole below the rope and wire to amplify the tones produced by the rope and wire.

HAROLD T. WHTIE, Ja. 

